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How to Make Planter Posts for String Lights
Extend the party into the night with these wooden whiskey barrels made into planters with posts that hold string lights.
Illuminate your outdoor living space with these easy-to-make planter posts. You can make them in one day — including drying time for the concrete — and each planter cost less than $100 to make.
Gary Payne
Tools + Materials
These materials are for one barrel.
- whiskey barrel planter
- 4x4 x 8' post
- (4) bags concrete mix (we used Quikrete)
- water
- shovel
- scrap wood
- hammer or pneumatic nail gun with compressor
- level
- plants
- potting mix
- hand trowel
- C-hooks
- drill with bit same size as C-hook
- zip ties
- string lights
Step 1: Mix Concrete in Barrel
The concrete should fill about 1/2 to 3/4 of the barrel to provide enough stability for the posts. Set the barrel in place; you don't want to have to move it after you add the concrete. Mix the concrete in the barrel. We filled our barrel with about 8 - 10 inches of concrete leaving about 10 inches for the plants.
Mix the concrete with water and shake the planter to ensure air bubbles in the mix rise to the top. If you are using several bags of concrete, it is easier to mix one at a time.
Gary Payne
Gary Payne
Gary Payne
Step 2: Insert and Support Post
Set the 4x4 post in the center of the barrel and check the level to make sure the post is not leaning. Screw scrap wood to the post to hold it upright while the concrete is setting. Add another bag of concrete if necessary.
Gary Payne
Gary Payne
Gary Payne
Gary Payne
Step 3: Add Drainage Holes to Planter
After the concrete has set, use a drill to make drainage holes in the barrel just above the line of concrete.
Gary Payne
Gary Payne
Step 4: Fill With Gravel, Soil + Plants
After the concrete has cured, add a layer of pebbles to help with drainage. Then fill the barrel with potting mix and selected plants.
Gary Payne
Gary Payne
Step 5: Add Hooks
At the top of the 4x4 post, pre-drill a hole for the C-hook that will hold the string lights. Insert the C-hook. Hang string lights from the C-hook using a zip tie. Hang the lights around the perimeter of the space, crisscrossing the area if desired.
Gary Payne
Gary Payne
Gary Payne
Step 6: Enjoy
Turn on the lights and enjoy the night.
Gary Payne
